


And We Are Offered Bitter Temptations

by Bluerain1984



Series: Strangers in a Strange Land [17]
Category: Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator
Genre: Coffee Shops, F/M, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mentions of Possible Divorce, Separation, Two men who let their intrusive thoughts and pasts make them nervous, neighbors to lovers, obviously
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 17:11:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12173223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluerain1984/pseuds/Bluerain1984
Summary: 'Joseph had never been a regular face in the Spoon. He came by on odd occasion, and even then, it was usually to catch up with Mat about neighborhood parties or something like that. Now, Joseph was dropping in at least once every day. On Wednesdays in the morning and Saturday afternoons Joseph brought a laptop and typed away at it while he nursed one of the lattes on the menu, picking at a muffin or a slice of banana bread. It was something a lot of folks did before they had to work. What really, really made Mat notice the new presence were the other days. On Mondays and Fridays, he got a Godspeed You! Black Coffee, Tuesday and Thursday it was tea… It was official, Mat had been at this gig too long. He knew people by their drink orders. Anyway, besides the inconsistency in drinks, every other day Joseph came in he… well, he stared.'





	And We Are Offered Bitter Temptations

**Author's Note:**

> SO, here's the real start of this portion of the series. I hope you guys enjoy, and thanks for waiting on me.

The bell jingled above as Joseph returned to the café. While he walked over to the counter, Mat and Pablo both looked over. The barista’s mouth lifted slightly as he said, “Hey! Didn’t expect to see you again so soon. What’s up?”

“Just came back from taking Mary’s car over to her…” Joseph leaned a bit on the counter.

Mat walked over, his smile falling quick. “Aw, man… She won’t talk to you?”

“No,” Joseph said. “She’s done. And… honestly, so am I.”

“Yeah?” Mat said. He stood across from Joseph, and tilted his head a bit as he, too, leaned forward against the counter.

“Yeah. I’m done with the whole thing. If she wants it to be over, then it’s over. I just…I don’t know how anyone is going to take this,” he finally said with a sigh. The reality of it was beginning to settle.

“What’s to explain?” Mat asked. “Marriages fizzle out a lot, you know?”

“Mat,” Joseph said, “It’s…It’s complicated. A lot of it isn’t just her fault, and yet…” Joseph ran one hand through his hair. “What if my kids start asking? How can I explain this to them? Or my church?” He absolutely could not tell either the truth, especially when much of it still revolved around his past affair. Joseph was not about to lose his kids’ or church’s respect. But he couldn’t deny his own hand in what happened, either.

As Joseph thought on this, Mat stood up straight again, crossed his arms over his chest, then said, “Joseph, can I tell you something?”

“I suppose,” Joseph said, curious.

Mat squared his shoulders, then leaned a bit in, and reached out one arm to clamp it over Joseph’s left shoulder. “You’re a good dad.”

Joseph looked away. Really?

“I mean it! You’re a good dad! Honestly, probably the best one on the block. So what if you made a mistake, man? With all that you do, with the PTA, the church fundraisers, the backyard parties? Man, you kill it every time, and you do that on top of showing all four of your kids all the love.”

Joseph couldn’t help but grin a little.

_If only he knew you were skimming money from the fundraisers._

He’d stop that, he vowed silently.

_Or that the reason you throw those parties and run the PTA is because you’re a narcissist._

Everyone likes attention!

Joseph pushed the thoughts down, and looked at Mat. The man was being so kind. So sincere. Even though the youth pastor didn’t deserve any of it. Joseph let himself smile a bit more and said, “Thank you, Mat.”

“Just try to remember that, okay?” Mat said. “Seein’ you bummed out brings _me_ down, and I need my role-model to keep his chin up.”

That made Joseph’s whole body freeze. He was Mat’s role-model?

Mat looked sheepish and said, “Oh…wait…damn, that sounded…That sounded like I was pressurin’ you, didn’t it? Shit, I’m sorry!”

“N-No!” Joseph said, laughing a little. “No, it’s fine… It’s… I’m flattered! After all, you’re a very good father, too, and a good businessman. Hearing you say that makes me… It just makes me glad.”

The men looked at one another for a bit longer before someone behind Joseph coughed.

“Can I order now, or are you going to keep complimenting each other?

Joseph stepped aside, face heating up now in embarrassment, along with the sudden feelings that Mat’s words caused to stir. He looked back at the other man, and said, “Sorry for holding up the line! I’ll…see you around?”

“Yeah, sounds great. See you around, Joseph! And remember—You can vent to me if you need to,” Mat replied, then he turned his attention to his customer, and resumed his work.

Joseph hadn’t gotten that cup of coffee he’d been craving before, but he felt satisfied all the same as he left The Coffee Spoon. He felt much lighter than he had when he’d gone back in. He felt…

He looked back over his shoulder at the café.

_Mat admires me. He wants me to confide in him…_

_Mat…is a pretty great guy, now that I think about it._

* * *

 

The beginning of the school year always caused an influx of new customers at The Coffee Spoon. Mat was thankful that he had Pablo helping now, to cover this particular tide of java-dependent bodies, and to give Mat a break when he was feeling particularly overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people who wanted to stop as they ordered and chit-chat. Those were the hardest times, honestly. Each time he made an excuse to go to the back, usually for a flavoring or more napkins or stir-sticks, Mat wondered how the hell he was ever able to get on a stage and perform when he couldn’t even handle a mom going on about her five-year-old’s first day of kindergarten.

After recovering from his mild bout of anxiety, Mat came out, ready to smile and brew for the masses again. There was just one thing different this year.

Joseph Christiansen was becoming a regular.

It started last month, right after Joseph’s wife left him. The whole details were still a complete mystery, but Mary was renting a hotel room while working at a part-time job, according to Damien at least, and Joseph was coming in more and more. It was all a little bizarre for Mat. Ever since he’d settled in Maple Bay, the Christiansens had been something of a staple, even when they had just been dating and not actually married yet. Hell, even though the Sellas had been there barely a month, the other pair had come to pay respects when Rosa died. They even offered to watch Carmensita, if Mat needed the help. He’d been grateful, though he hadn’t taken up the offer. He didn’t want to bother the young and happy couple, back then. And as the years passed he’d stood back, giving friendly chatter and helping here and there when asked by his neighbor, but never really getting any closer, even as he watched Joseph excel at his job and raising the children that came, one right after the other, it seemed.  He hadn’t been lying when he’d told Joseph he admired him in that regard, a few weeks ago.

So, Joseph’s presence in The Spoon shouldn’t have necessarily been anything to take notice of. Some people came in a lot more at certain times of the year. Robert always tended to show up more during Fall, for instance. But Joseph had never been a regular face in the Spoon. He came by on odd occasion, and even then, it was usually to catch up with Mat about neighborhood parties or something like that. Now, Joseph was dropping in at least once every day. On Wednesdays in the morning and Saturday afternoons Joseph brought a laptop and typed away at it while he nursed one of the lattes on the menu, picking at a muffin or a slice of banana bread. It was something a lot of folks did before they had to work. What really, really made Mat notice the new presence were the other days. On Mondays and Fridays, he got a Godspeed You! Black Coffee, Tuesday and Thursday it was tea… It was official, Mat had been at this gig too long. He knew people by their drink orders. Anyway, besides the inconsistency in drinks, every other day Joseph came in he… well, he stared.

Not the ‘looking up when something’s going on’ sort of stare, or the ‘wow he’s good at those complex coffee orders’ stares. Mat hadn’t had this kind of stare on him since the old days, before his band hit it off and they were playing at actual music venues, back when they were doing performances at local dives, bars, and cheap clubs. It was the stare of someone who you didn’t even have to look at long to know they were there because of _you_ , and not particularly for your talent, though it would have been a draw. The stare of someone who knew you knew that they were looking, but they kept looking anyway, even if they knew it was impolite. This was a curious stare. A hard stare.

A hungry stare.

And as old as he was now, a has-been has-been, spending his days grinding beans and mixing their juices with sugar-water and artificial flavorings, as odd as that kind of stare was coming from his neighbor, of all people…

Damned if Mat wasn’t fucking flattered by it.

It had been years, genuinely years, since someone had looked at Mat with that kind of curious intensity, and while he hadn’t wanted that kind of attention for just as long, Mat had recently begun to miss it, too. He didn’t want five, ten, or twenty girls a night demanding an autograph across their breasts, or just as many guys wanting to give him blow-jobs in the tour van, of course. He just wanted someone to look at him as if he were important. Someone worth chasing and keeping. He wanted… someone to look at him the way Rosa did.

And while this wasn’t anything like the way Rosa looked at him, it was still a damn intense stare, and Mat would have been an idiot not to notice it. And he wasn’t the only one who had seen it.

As Mat was starting the clean-up on the last Tuesday of September, sweeping up all the various crumbs and papers left by patrons through the afternoon and evening, Pablo sidled in nearby. The young man’s pierced lips parted in a conspiratorial smile. “So, when do you think he’ll get the nerve to do more than creep on you?”

“What?”

“You know,” Pablo said. “Preacher-Man! He’s been here every day since you gave him the ‘Lean on Me’ treatment, and, I don’t know if you realized, but that man looks thirsty. And not just for Chai Antwoord.”

Mat rolled his eyes, feeling his cheeks warm in a blush he had no way of stopping. “Pab, c’mon.”

“No,” Pablo said, removing his apron and sitting on one of Mat’s tables. “It’s obvious!”

“Does it bother you?” Mat asked him. “If you’re creeped out—”

“I don’t care. It’s not **_me_** he’s starin’ at,” Pablo said, “But what about you? Does it bother **_you_**?”

Mat looked down at the floor, leaning on the broom. “…No.”

“So then, when do you think he’ll finally do more than look?”

“You’re reading too much into it,” Mat said. He started pushing the broom again. “He’s…probably just feelin’ lonely. He’s going through a separation. He just wants a friend.”

“Or a rebound?”

“We don’t even know if he’s into guys,” Mat said, even though he could sense the intense ‘bisexual’ vibes coming off the youth pastor. Pablo raised his eyebrows up a little and gave Mat a ‘Really?’ sort of expression. It seemed the young man had picked up the vibe, too. In any case, Mat had just never questioned the strength of Joseph’s marriage… Maybe he should have?

No.

Ugh! What was he thinking?!

“Besides,” Mat said out loud, turning away from Pablo to squat and reach the broom under one of the couches in the main seating area, “Even if he was he wouldn’t want someone like me. I’m older, and our circles are too different. He’s —”

“Separated from his wife after screwing up?”  
“Even with that, he’s perfect!” Mat declared. “He does everything without a problem or showin’ anybody that he’s scared or nervous or whatever’s going on in private. Even now, he goes to work, and he’s handling all his kids alone and doesn’t look bothered or tired, or anything, and I’m… I’m just the guy who sells coffee.” Mat stood up, shaking dust-bunnies off his broom. “I’m the guy who sells coffee and likes niche music. It wouldn’t… wouldn’t work.”

After a few seconds of thick silence, Pablo giggled. “Shit, na… Mat, do you have a crush on him?”

Mat nearly lost his balance. He released the broom instantly, and caught himself before he fell back into the coffee table or on the floor. “What?!?”

“Do you have a crush on Preacher Man?”

“I—No! No I don’t,” Mat insisted. “I just, he’s a really good guy!”

Pablo whistled, and did a few dancing steps toward the kitchen, softly singing, “Mattie got a crush on Preacher Man.”

“Cut it out, Pablo,” Mat said, his voice going stern in the way that dads can always manage, no matter the conversation.

Pablo paused and raised his hands up. His amusement seeped out. “Sorry.”

Mat deflated instantly. “No… _I’m_ sorry. I don’t know why that bothered me. Um… Y’know, I just gotta sweep. You can go on home.”

“You sure?”

Mat nodded, “Yeah. Yeah, go on home.”

Pablo nodded, and said nothing else. He went back to the office for his stuff, then headed out. Once the young man was gone, Mat picked up his broom, but he didn’t continue his sweeping. He leaned on the handle, and thought.

He’d always admired Joseph, that much he admitted. He liked talking to him, but only in so much as he liked talking to all his neighbors. Joseph was responsible. He was kind. He was thoughtful…

Okay, yeah, he was kind of pretty, too.

There were a lot of good looking people on their block, really, but Joseph was all clean cut, with his sunshine hair, and those eyes; one was the color of the bay when the sun was out and the ocean was calm and perfect, and the other was the color of storm-thrown waves…

Shit, he was getting poetic…

_Bad, Mat! Bad, bad, bad, bad!_

_You can **not**_ _go crushin’ on your neighbor, who is still technically married and might not even be that into you! Stop it!_

He put his forehead on the hands resting on the broom handle’s top. He groaned. Then, Mat waited until his head settled down, finished sweeping, and locked up the Spoon for the night. As he arrived at the cul-de-sac a short time after, he did his best not to glance over at Joseph’s house, or wonder if he was reading too much into that stare. Tried not to wonder if Joseph was thinking about him in any way. Tried not to be hopeful, or disappointed, or anything else.

Focus on other things.

He smelled spices, herbs and something tomatoey.

Carmensita must have cooked the spaghetti in the pantry for them. He unlocked the front door, his senses hit full-blast by that smell.

“Hey, baby girl! Where’re you at?”

“I’m in the kitchen, Dad!” Carmensita called back to him.

Mat let himself smile. His stomach rumbled. He just needed a meal and some sleep. Everything would make more sense tomorrow.

Maybe.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, it's an odd pairing to be making, but I think it's one that could work. Especially since some portions of this story is inspired by the interactions between myself and RP buddy coffeespooning (and yes, I got permission first). I'll be sure to throw in my own original bits, too, of course. I want to make this a good story!!
> 
> And for all you fellow Mary fans, don't worry. I got something planned for her that I think you'll like. Just be patient.
> 
> For updates, works in progress, or to see me reblog fandom crap, follow me on justthefangirl.tumblr.com. You can also throw me an ask, if you have questions about the series or my headcanons involved with writing these fics.
> 
> So, until next time, all! Remember that comments/critiques are loved, and that kudos are always appreciated ^.^


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